Fitting device

ABSTRACT

A bag filling tube having guide shell means for facilitating fixing of the bag nozzle around the filling tube, said guide shell means being adapted to perform a converging movement below the nozzle of the filling tube by making a swivelling movement in combination with a descending movement.

United States Patent .1 91

Krul June 17, 1975 [54] FITTING DEVICE 1,007,358 10/1911 Joplin 141/312 3,257,040 6 1966 D b h l.. 222 161 Invenwrl Willem KruL Rotterdam 3,498,344 3l1970 selll vali e et a liu.

Netherlands 3.750121 8/1973 Hudson 141/317 [73] Assignee: Halk B.V., Rotterdam, Netherlands FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS [22] Filed: Sept. 28, 1973 809,612 2/1959 United Kingdom 141/316 [21] Appl. No.: 401,713

Primary Examiner-Harry N. Haroian An A F h D [30] Foreign Application Priority Data gggg gem of Cus man arby &

Sept 29, 1972 Netherlands 7213194 52 us. or. 141/312 [57] ABSTRACT [51] Int. Cl B65b 1/04; B65b 3/04 A bag filling tube having guide shell means for facilil l Field Of Search 31 l-313, tating fixing of the bag nozzle around the filling tube,

41/316, 317, 3 5, 36 39.04192; said guide shell means being adapted to perform a con- 53/255, 258, 261 verging movement below the nozzle of the filling tube by making a swivelling movement in combination with [56] References Clled a descending movement.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 8/1899 Cook .1 141/312 4 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PATENTED UN 1 7 1975 SHEET FIG] FITTING DEVICE The invention relates to a device for fitting a valve bag onto a filling tube provided with operable clamping means adapted to clamp the bag around the filling tube in the filling position.

A drawback of the known devices of this type is that the rapid and tightly fitting application of the valve of a bag around the nozzle presents difficulties because in that case the opening of the bag may only be slightly larger than the outer circumference of the nozzle. When the valve of the bag is widened, there will be an increase in dust development and leaking of the filling material.

It is the object of the invention to provide a device for fitting a valve bag onto a filling tube with elimination of the above drawbacks.

For this purpose the device according to the invention is provided with oppositely disposed bag guide shells engaging the filling tube end, said shells being adapted to execute an interdependent movement consisting in a translation in axial direction of the filling tube and in a rotation in relatively opposite directions. As a result the bag valve, which is only slightly wider than the outer circumference of the filling tube, can be easily slid over the closely spaced ends of the guide shells, after which said shells are forced to execute such a movement that, together with the bag valve, they can be brought in tight fit with the filling tube. In this retracted position of the guide shells, the valve bag can be clamped with known clamping means. Due to the close fit of the valve around the filling tube, no filling material is lost during filling, while also the development of dust is minimized.

Furthermore according to the invention the movement of the guide shells can be controlled by pin and groove guides, there being present for each shell two at least partly non-parallel guide grooves.

This completely determines the movement of the guide shells, so that the rotation takes place forcibly during the translation and there will be a continuous movement.

The invention also provides a vibratory mechanism which by vertical vibration prevents bridging in the material and is rationally constructed.

One embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein FIG. 1 is a front view of the device,

FIG. 2 is a side view of the device shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 3 is a side view of the device according to the invention provided with a vibratory mechanism in which the guide shells are not shown.

The drawing shows a base plate 1 provided with guide grooves 6 and 6' wherein slide pins 7 and 7 of two slide blocks 2 may slide. As a result two guide shells 3, which are fixedly connected with the slide blocks 2 by means of fixing pieces 8, can each perform only one specific movement which is indicated by dash lines 9. The two guide shells 3 each rotate about the longitudinal axis of a slide pin 7, said pins 7 simultaneously performing a rectilinear movement perpendicular to their longitudinal axes parallel to the longitudinal axis of a filling tube 5.

In the extended position as. shown in the drawing the two guide shells shut off the bottom end of the filling tube 5, while the guide shells also form a downwardly tapering guide around which a valve of a valve bag can be easily slid. When applying the valve bag a switch can then be operated which actuates for instance an air cylinder connected to the slide blocks 2 by means of a draw and push rod 4. As result the bag guide shells will perform the specific movement consisting in a rotation and a translation, so that the valve of the valve bag is drawn closely fitting around the bottom end of the filling tube without damaging the valve or the bag.

In the retracted position of the guide shells shown by a dash line 10 the valve can be clamped against the shells by any suitable clamping means, such as a pair of pneumatic clamps shown schematically at 22 in the drawings after which the valve bag will be filled via the filling tube without escape of filling material or dust development.

After filling the clamping of the valve is removed, whereafter the bag guide shells are moved downwardly by means of said rod 4, so that the bag is released and the bottom end of the filling tube is shut off again by the shells 3.

The filling apparatus shown in FIG. 3 is provided with a hopper 11 and a filling tube 13 interconnected by means of a flexible sleeve 12. At the filling tube 13 there is provided a spout 14 to which a valve bag can be clamped, e.g., pneumatically. A drive motor 16 is connected to the hopper 11 by means of a rigid plate, said plate being connected to filling tube 13 via parallelly guiding leaf springs 19. The motor 16 can bring the filling tube 13 in axial movement relative to the hopper 11 by means of a crank 20 and a connecting rod 18. In the hopper 11 there is disposed an adjustable plate 15, the adjustment of which depends on the nature of the filling material. The filling apparatus is suspended by means of resilient rubber blocks 17.

I claim:

1. A filling machine for filling valve bags with quantities of materials, comprising a vertically disposed filling tube having a nozzle piece at the lower end thereof,

a pair of guide shells disposed oppositely on either side of said nozzle piece, each guide shell partly encircling said nozzle piece, and

guide shell mounting means for guiding said guide shells in a movement that is both vertical and pivotal between a lower position wherein said shells are inclined relative to each other with their lower ends converging below said filling tube nozzle, and an upper position wherein said shells are in spaced, substantially parallel relation to each other and to said filling tube and closely encircle said tube.

2. A filling machine as recited in claim 1 wherein said guide shell mounting means comprise a pair of nonparallel guide grooves for each of said guide shells, and a pair of pins operatively connected to each of said guide shells for guided movement in said guide grooves.

3. A filling machine as recited in claim 2 further comprising a hopper, means for flexibly connecting said hopper to said filling tube, and means for moving said filling tube with respect to said hopper, said means including a crank drive mechanism carried by said hopper.

4. A filling machine as recited in claim 1 further comprising clamping means for clamping a valve bag to said filling nozzle when said guide shells are in their upper position. 

1. A filling machine for filling valve bags with quantities of materials, comprising a vertically disposed filling tube having a nozzle piece at the lower end thereof, a pair of guide shells disposed oppositely on either side of said nozzle piece, each guide shell partly encircling said nozzle piece, and guide shell mounting means for guiding said guide shells in a movement that is both vertical and pivotal between a lower position wherein said shells are inclined relative to each other with their lower ends converging below said filling tube nozzle, and an upper position wherein said shells are in spaced, substantially parallel relation to each other and to said filling tube and closely encircle said tube.
 2. A filling machine as recited in claim 1 wherein said guide shell mounting means comprise a pair of non-parallel guide grooves for each of said guide shells, and a pair of pins operatively connected to each of said guide shells for guided movement in said guide grooves.
 3. A filling machine as recited in claim 2 further comprising a hopper, means for flexibly connecting said hopper to said filling tube, and means for moving said filling tube with respect to said hopper, said means including a crank drive mechanism carried by said hopper.
 4. A filling machine as recited in claim 1 further comprising clamping means for clamping a valve bag to said filling nozzle when said guide shells are in their upper position. 